My father and Lonny brought it to my attention that “swan” is not exactly a verb. Well, my father was more open minded about it, he said he’d never heard that usage before but Lonny, in his oh-so-superior way, said that it isn’t verb.
Gee, how will we ever get to the bottom of this dispute?
swan
/swɒn/ /swɑːn/ (-nn-) UK informal disapproving
Definition
In your FACE Lonny!
The irony is that I know I heard this usage at the same time he did. He’s a big fan of P.G. Wodehouse’s Wooster and Jeeves, as well as Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe novels. We used to listen to them on tape (natch) while working and were bathed in turn-of-the-century prose. Like “swan”.
I think I’m going to make it a point to swan about and annoy Lonny as much as possible this weekend. I mean, why not? Maybe it will keep our marriage fresh. Or not. Like I say about my kids, “If they are fighting, at least they aren’t bored.”
Also overheard was a small group of people walking by the bird fence. We have sunflowers and Datura Stramonium (aka Locoweed, Jimson Weed, and Moon Flower) lining the fence. At least once a summer some misguided hippy will walk by (with a copy of something by Carlos Casteneda tucked under an arm) and inform me that the Native Americans used the plant as part of their sacred rituals.
Really? I had no idea.
Oh wait, I did because I read Valley of the Horses when I was 13, too. But I was only interested in the other rituals, if you know what I mean.
If you’ve read the series (and I’m not judging here because I read up to the fourth book and then I couldn’t take it anymore because I got my own sex life, thank you) you must click on the rituals hyperlink. I about choked on my own spit. “Dongalar” Oh my God.
Several years ago a representative from the city asked us if we would remove the plants because idiotic teenagers (aka Shamans in Training) would end up in the E.R. because they ingested the seeds in hopes of a mind expanding high but landed a coma instead.
That’s the thing. You can hallucinate on the stuff but more likely you will kill yourself. For a couple of years we did our best to eradicate them, but we gave up. Datura thrives in the sunny and dry spot next to the fence.
Today I was in the kitchen and I overheard a woman say, “You can make a tea with plant and either you’ll trip or you die.” Sign me up.
Let me just point out that it is Labor Day but despite that, it’s time to cut the crap.
I love Rex Stout. I’ve probably read all of the Nero Wolfe novels – all 549 of them or whatever. They make me happy. There are times when formulaic, fairly bloodless murder mysteries are exactly the kind of stress free reading a person needs.
There he was. A mountain of a man.
Pingback: And the Winner of the Giant Veg Contest Is … (5727-5766) | Vivienne's Process of Elimination
“Swan” is definitely a verb. And it is best done in a dress. Especially in a new dress.
Swan on, girl.
I got to the bottom of it! I didn’t hear it in a Wodehouse book, I hear it from Dan Savage. He likes to talk about Swanning around all the time. I love him.
As fans of British television, it’s a well-used phrase in our home.
Ah so.